Pensacola, Fla. - Florida Tech volleyball opened their season on the road at the West Florida Invitational. The Panthers went against two ranked opponents on the first day of the tournament. 

In the first game, the Panthers faced Wheeling Jesuit University who are currently ranked 13th in the nation. Unfortunately, the Panthers were not able to come out on top as they fell in three sets. 

The team tallied 23 kills, 19 assists, and 56 digs on the match. 

Jocelyn Garcia had her first start as a Panther in the season opener. She recorded six kills on 21 attempts for a .238 hitting percentage. 

After missing the 2018 season, Tania Kottke made her first start of the season where she registered five kills and five digs.

Also, Sheila Villagrasa collected 15 assists and Kyra Atkinson had 19 digs over the course of the match.  

In the second game, Florida Tech went up against West Florida. The Panthers facing a strong Argonauts went down in three sets. 

The Panthers collected 32 kills on 126 attempts for a .119 hitting percentage. They also recorded 27 assists in which 23 came from Villagrasa. 

Audrey Keenan tallied eight kills with two blocks on the match. 

Christina Mayberry had a good performance collecting seven kills on 24 attempts for a .250 hitting percentage. 

The Panthers are back in action tomorrow at 1:30  and 6:30 p.m. ET. Florida Tech will first face Western Washington University and then Spring Hill College. 

For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech volleyball team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.